Mechanical coal-feed on gas-producers



I. WILLIAMS.

MECHANICAL COAL FEED 0N GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB,5,1920.

, g. 27 m? wt 2 5 l fla MW a n m I. WILLIAMS.

' MECHANICAL COAL FEED-0N GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, I920.

v d Dec. 14,1920.

4 SHEETS-*SHEET 2- Patente I. WILLIAMS.

MECHANICAL COAL FEED 0N GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION HLED FEB.5,1920.

1,862A53 Patented Dec. M, 1920 H. WILLIAMS.

MECHANICAL COAL FEED 0N GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1920.

13%,450 Patented Dec 14,192a,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ISAAC WILLIAMS, 0F MIDDLESBORO, ENGLAND.

MECHANICAL GOAL-FEEID ON GAS-PRODUCERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed February 5, 1820. Serial No. 356,461.

T 0 all to 720m it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC WILLIAMS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in ll Iiddlesboro, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Coal-Feeds on Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical a1- rangements employed for feeding coal automatically into gas producers, and has for its object the securing of a more regular and certain feed than has been hitherto obtained.

It is customary at present to employ 1ne chanically actuated rotating drums which revolve in a closed casing. The coal from an overhead hopper drops into the drum through an orifice provided in the same, which drum in rotating brings the orifice over an opening provided in the top portion of the gas producer, thus allowing the coal to fall through into the producer.

The drawback to thisarrangement is that the coal dust carbonizes on the periphery of the drum and causes the drum to stick in the casing, and by sticking the drum fails to give a regular feed.

In the arrangement which constitutes the present invention, I use as the principal element of the feeding device a ram or plunger directly connected with the piston of a steam cylinder or equivalent power cylinder, by means of which the coal is pushed along a feed casing from a point at which it is delivered thereto gravitationally from a superposed hopper to the feed point, the reciprocation of the steam piston and ram being controlled by a valve actuated by means of a cam driven from a power shaft and of such a character that there is an interval of rest when the ram is in the forward or feed position the fuel inlet being then cut off from the furnace.

Such an arrangement has been applied to feeding coal to boiler furnaces, the fuel being forced by the ram along a trough be low the level of the furnace grate and up into the mass of burning fuel from a point below the mass.

The present invention is distinguished from this arrangement in several respects. It relates to a device for mechanically feeding coal upon the top of the fuel already in the producer and the feed casing in which the ram plunger reciprocates does not lead into the furnace or producer, but is entirely external thereto and is a completely inclosed cylindrical casing having a coal inlet on its upper side, and a coal outlet on its under side from the latter of which the coal is fed gravitationally into the producer through a connecting neck. The cylindrical plunger is such that in its forward or feed position it covers both the coal inlet and outlet, thereby cutting off connection between the producer and feed casing as well as between the latter and the coal hopper.

I usually prefer to work with two cylindrical plungers in tandem connected by rods with each other and with the piston of a steam cylinder, which is controlled by means of mechanically operated cams actuating slide valves, the cams being so driven that a variable quantity of coal can be fed into the gas producer at one or more places.

The coal is delivered to the top of, the.

casing by a coal chute from a storage coal bunker. The plunger. is drawn back quickly, allowing av determined amount of coal to gravitate into the casing in front of the plunger. The plunger then moves forward quickly, forcing the coal into the gas producer through the connecting neck and the plunger then remains in this position, preventing any gas escaping from the gas producer through the plunger casing, and also at the same time preventing any coal gravitating into the plunger casing. The plunger remains in this position a determined period which is fixed by the rate of coal feed required by the gas producer.

The plungers are designed to scrape off any carbon deposits in the plunger casings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the casing, plungers and cylinders; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of cam mechanism and steam valve; Fig. 3 is a plan of cam mechanism and steam valves; and Fig. 4 is a general view mainly in section showing the operative relation between the several parts of the device. Like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

In Fig. l A. is the steam cylinder with piston B which operates plungers C which work backward and forward in casings D. The plungers C are connected with each other and with piston B by rods E. The coal in lets F are provided with slides for regulating the flow of the coal from chutes G on the top side of the plunger casing D. Connect ing necks H to the gas producer on the bottom side of the casing are fitted with sliding plates J for isolating the coal feed from the gas producer as required.

In Figs. 2 and 3, K is the cone pulley A cam disk 55 is keyed on shaft Q, having three operative cam surfaces S, S S On either ide of the cam S sliding bars T are fitted which carry rollers U and U at their forward and rear ends respectively. lhe forward ends of the sliding bars T are connected with valve stem V, which in turn is fitted with the steam valves W, X is the steam chest fitted with steam inlet Y", and exhaust Z and steam connections Y, Y to cylinder A.

The cone pulley K can be made with a number of steps to give the required rates of feed and is generally driven from a main shaft.

The same method of working would be followed in using compressed air or water instead of steam for operating the device.

Assuming the conditions shown in the drawings, the cam S has engaged roller U and shifted the valve WV to connect pipe Y to steam, and valve W to connect pipe Y to exhaust, thus enabling the piston B to draw back the plungers C, and allowing the coal to gravitate from the chutes G through the coal inlet F into the plunger casing D. Cam S then immediately engages with rcller U, retracting the valves W, W to connect pipe Y with steam and pipe Y with er:- haust, thus enabling the piston B to push forward the plungers C and discharge the coal through the connecting necks H into the gas producer. Cam S then immediately comes into engagement with roller U, but being of less radial depth than the other cams it shifts the valves W and W to an intermediate position in which steam is cut off both from pipe Y and pipe Y, allowingthe plungers C to remain over and seal the con necting necks H until the cam S again engages roller U, when the operation is repeated.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1. A mechanical coal feed for gas preducers comprising in combination with the producer a horizontal feed casing, having a coal inlet and an outlet in spaced relation, a hopper adapted to deliver coal to said coal inlet, said coal outlet communicating with the interior of the producer, a plunger fitting within said feed casing and adapted to push the coal from the inlet to the outlet, a pressure fluid operated piston directly connected with the plunger, valve mechanism controlling the admission and exhaust of the pressure fluid operating the piston, a power shaft rotatably mounted adjacent said casing, a three point cam disk driven from said power shaft and operating the valve mechanism to position the same for operating the piston on its power stroke in quick succession the return. stroke and maintaining said piston at the end of the power stroke for a definite time interval, and means for varying the speed of the cam 2. A mechanical coal feed for gas producers comprising in combination withtho gas producer, a feed casing having an inlet and an outlet in spaced relation, a hopper adapted to deliver coal to said inlet, said outlet communicating with the interior of the producer, a plunger fitting within said feed casing and adapted to push the coal from the inlet to the outlet, a pressure fluid operating piston directly connected with the plunger, valve mechanism controlling the admission and exhaust of pressure fluid for operating the piston, and cam means for actuating said valve mechanism to produce a working stroke in quick succession to the return movement of the piston, and a delay in the reciprocation of the piston when the lat ter at the end of the working stroke.

A mechanical coal feed for gas producers comprising in combination with the gas producer, a horizontal feed casing hav-' ing an inlet and an outlet in spaced relation, a. hopper adapted to deliver coal to said inlet, said outlet cominiuiicating with the interior of the producer, a plunger fitting within said feed casing adapted to push the coal from the inlet to the outlet and in one position to cover both said inlet and out-let, a pressure fluid operating piston directly connected-to the plunger, valve mechanism controlling the admission and exhaust of pressure fluid for operating the piston, and mean for actuating said valve mechanism for producing the working stroke in quick succession to the return movement of the piston and a delay in the reciprocation of the piston when the latter is at the end of the working stroke and covers both said inlet and outlet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ISAAC WILLIAMS. 

